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Boxborough well-being committee hears rising housing, utility and assessment pressures; plans outreach to Select Board
Summary
Outreach staff told the Boxborough Well-being Committee that rising evictions, utility shutoff notices and large condo assessments tied to waterline and pipe projects are creating increasing hardship; members agreed to prepare a Select Board briefing and expand outreach at community markets.
Wendy, the committee’s outreach worker, told the Boxborough Well-being Committee that she has seen more referrals for housing help, including two recent cases involving foreclosure or loss of rental assistance, and an increase in residents facing utility shutoff notices.
"I gave them a 1 night hotel stay and got them on a bunch of waiting lists for homeless shelters," Wendy said, describing a recent case. She said outreach staff are now asking for a signed payment plan from Littleton Electric before disbursing funds to avoid last-minute emergency payments.
The committee heard that Littleton Electric routinely provides outreach staff with account histories and that shutoffs usually occur on Tuesdays; outreach staff said utilities sometimes grant short extensions if they can document active assistance. Wendy said this coordination has reduced surprise shutoffs but that many residents still face large past-due balances.
Wendy also outlined a growing set of infrastructure-driven costs residents will face. She reported owners at Leverett House were assessed about $25,000–$32,000 because of what she described as a roughly $5,000,000 insurance shortfall following a fire, and said Brook Village—about 196 units—faces pipe-replacement assessments estimated at $14,000–$18,000 per owner, to be repaid over 20 years. "It's going to become a big problem," Wendy said, noting the extra costs are likely to be passed on to renters or create foreclosure risk for lower-income owners.
Committee members stressed the limits of local authority but said the town can improve information flow. Al, a committee member who covers local infrastructure topics for the Boxborough News, suggested coordinating with the Water Resources Committee and the assessor to pin down details and to create a clear notice for affected owners.
The committee agreed to develop a short presentation for the Select Board documenting the scale of the assessments and urging clearer communication to homeowners' associations and tenants. Chair said the well-being committee should prepare materials so residents understand upcoming costs even if the town cannot directly finance those assessments.
Wendy also told members she is arranging a tailored boundaries training for outreach and social workers in September and described modest changes to intake and appointment processes to preserve staff capacity while meeting rising demand.
The committee flagged outreach opportunities at upcoming community markets—Aug. 15 and Sept. 12—where public-health staff and volunteers can distribute information and answer resident questions. Jenna, a public-health representative, confirmed a nurse will staff some market dates.
Next steps: the committee plans to assemble a short briefing for the Select Board and to increase targeted outreach at community markets and through homeowners associations to alert residents facing assessments, waterline connections and potential utility shutoffs.
